


So Night Goes Down to Day

by TheTurtleduckPond



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, Moon Blessed Yue (Avatar), Ocean Blessed Sokka (Avatar), Sun Blessed Zuko (Avatar), descriptions of burning flesh, the spirits can turn into people, zhao dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:21:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28203771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTurtleduckPond/pseuds/TheTurtleduckPond
Summary: In a moment, everything changes because Zuko throws himself in the way of Zhao's attack on Tui. In an attempt to save him, everything changes.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 39
Kudos: 213





	So Night Goes Down to Day

**Author's Note:**

> I'm finally getting around to posting this from my tumblr.

Seeing the flames suddenly shoot towards the Spirit Oasis was horrifying. Zhao had been retreating just moments before. He was far enough away from them to relax and assume that Iroh’s threat had been enough. Sokka had already taken a breath of relief because he believed they were safe. Everything was going to be okay now.

Then Zhao sent out a jet of flames with a sudden punch at the Oasis and the spirits circling each other in it.

It was so fast he didn’t even have time to draw a weapon to try and do something.

Then something completely unexpected happened. Sokka watched a body take the blow instead of Tui, the form dropping to the ground next to the water. Tui was safe, but someone else wasn’t.

Zhao’s expression turned from satisfaction at his sudden attack into fury at being interrupted. Then confusion tinged his eyes before it landed on pure horror. His eyes turned to the old man that traveled with Zuko and Sokka looked too. Iroh’s expression had been warning and tense before and threatening for the sake of the spirit, but now he looked like he could tear the other man apart with his bare hands. A sort of unbridled fury that had Sokka taking a step back when he wasn’t even being threatened.

“He did that on his own, it wasn’t my fault-” Zhao’s words were clearly falling on deaf ears.

Apparently, it was too much for Iroh to tolerate.

The man started an assault, so furious that the rest of the soldiers fled and he gave chase after Zhao. Something in Sokka was certain that they’d never have to worry about him again.

His eyes went back to the form crumpled on the ground and rushed over.

It was Zuko.

Sokka should have known, Iroh - Zuko’s uncle if he remembered right - wouldn’t have gotten so infuriated if it was anyone else. No one other than his nephew could have gotten such a reaction from the elderly firebender.

The others were moving over as well now and Sokka watched Katara kneel next to him and turn him onto his back.

Sokka wanted to get sick.

The flames meant for Tui had been large and out of control and that reflected on Zuko’s wounds. His outfit had meant to camouflage him in the snow, not protect him from fire. It had burnt straight through and caused a large burn that crept over his shoulder and up to his neck with the majority on his chest badly burnt as well. A darker mark over his heart was the most worrying part though. It probably explained his short breaths and glassy eyes, trembling on the ground silently. None of those were good signs for the firebender.

If it was just the sight of Zuko’s wounds, Sokka might have been okay, but there was also the smell. He could smell the burning of his skin. He couldn’t even imagine how much pain the other teen was in from a wound like that.

“That looks really bad Katara,” Aang said, his voice wavering as she hovered her hands over his chest, “Can you…?”

She was already shaking with exhaustion and shock, but she was going to try anyway. He saw her summon the water and start to pass it over his chest. The very edges of the burns shrank slightly, barely even changing how much of his chest was covered in the reddened skin. It didn’t even seem to put a dent in the dark red mark over his heart.

His breathing was slowing down, but not in a good way. It was still uneven and it sounded wrong. He didn’t know what sort of damage was on the inside.

“Katara,” Yue seemed confused, but she gently pressed her hand to Katara’s shoulder, “You did your best. We just have to hope that everything goes well.”

Katara looked distraught. Hands shaking as she tried to heal more, but she was too tired. She couldn’t heal him. She was doing her best and it wasn’t working.

Aang turned to the Oasis like he heard his name. Suddenly he walked into the water, eyes glowing as he was enveloped in water.

“This won’t end this way,” His voice sounded echoey, being taken over by La.

They watched him leave, Katara’s hands still on Zuko’s chest.

“He won’t make it,” She said, looking at Sokka with dark eyes, frustration clear in her voice, “I can’t repair this much damage.”

He looked down at him, frowning and then over at Yue, who was squeezing her shoulder still. Yue… who had been saved by the moon spirit when she was as good as dead as a newborn.

“What if…” He looked at her and saw the light come back to her eyes as she understood what he was suggesting, “Maybe Tui could…?”

“Get him in the water,” Yue said, reaching down to try and pull him towards the water. It was clearly impossible for her, so Sokka had to do it himself, hands shaking as he dragged Zuko’s limp form into the water. He shifted so he was on his knees in the shallows, supporting Zuko’s head so he wouldn’t drown.

Tui was still circling without La, but as they managed to get the prince’s body into the water it changed course, moving up and over his chest. The water of the pond started to take on an unearthly glow, like the full moon above them was bleeding in the water.

The sight of the spirit moving to start to help him make Sokka’s breathing easier. Tui didn’t seem to have any qualms trying to rescue him. He glanced at his hair, expecting it to turn white, just like Yue’s. That the moon’s blessing would start to affect him and everything would be okay. He waited for that response or a similar one.

Sokka realized after a minute that while Zuko’s breathing wasn’t getting any worse, it also wasn’t getting any better. It was still shallow and rattling in his chest.

Tui was still moving in ever-tightening circles over his heart. Like the spirit was trying to concentrate its power there to work its magic. It wasn’t changing anything though, the burns were still bright and fresh. Even the moon spirit couldn’t do anything for him.

Like they were heard, the large glowing water beast that Aang had become returned to the Oasis, setting Aang down on the shore. Katara lunged, catching him and helping him get back up when he swayed. The moment Aang sat up, hand to his head, all attention was back on Zuko… right before it was given to the tall man standing waist-deep in the pool.

He was frowning at Tui, with eyes so dark Sokka thought they were black for a moment. Then there was a streak of silver and they were bluer than anyone else in the Water Tribes that he’d ever seen. There was no white to his eyes and no pupil either, just an inhuman blue. He was a huge man, dressed in furs with his pitch-black hair. It was in a wolf tail decorated with beats in blue and silver and his furs were mostly black with only the slightest bit of white on them. His furs were surprisingly loose and flowing around him. Though what really set him off from being a normal man was the delicate pattern of black scales near his eyes and over his arms. He looked somewhere between a warrior from the Southern Water Tribe and a spirit.

“Tui, you can’t save him,” He said, shaking his head as the fish seemed to grow more frantic at the man’s words circling faster over Zuko’s chest, “For fucks sake, you know you can’t. If you could you would have already succeeded. Just stop that, you’re making it worse for everyone.”

As if his words had struck a chord there was no longer a white fish in the pond at all, but a woman who could have been Yue, just older.

Her hair was just as white, but her eyes were pure silver. Like someone had just put moonlight there and forgotten about anything else. Her hair was decorated with the same silver and blue beads as the man and the same pattern of scales were by the edges of her eyes in white. Unlike him, she was dressed in white which only added to the strange feeling that her clothes were much brighter, like the moon itself was glowing from them. Her sleeves were flowing without any wind like they were still caught in the water. She had turned to scowl at the man, fists landing on her hips, but the water retained its glow.

“La,” The way she said the spirits name left no doubt in Sokka’s mind that the man in front of him was the Ocean Spirit that had just taken control of Aang in an attempt to help them, “I’m not giving up on him he-”

“Saved you,” He interrupted, staring at her seriously, “He saved you. Which is why I just fucking got rid of the Fire Navy ships. It doesn’t change the fact that you can’t do a damn thing to save him. He’s not ours.”

“He’s not yours?” Katara’s voice started to raise and immediately the man’s dark eyes shot to her with a scowl, “He’s human! What difference does it make?!”

“Katara-” Yue was still at her shoulder, trying to soothe her.

“All the difference in the world little girl,” The man’s voice was gruff, annoyed as he turned to explain to her, “You? You’re Tui’s. That girl is Tui’s too,” He pointed at Yue, “Him, he’s mine.” Sokka stared in bemusement at the declaration as the spirit pointed at him, “There are rules among spirits and we abide by them. You won’t find earth designated spirits trying to mess with an Air Nomad, or an air-based spirit trying to touch an Earth Kingdom child.”

“Which is why you can’t help him,” Sokka said, realizing the problem.

“Sokka-!” Katara’s voice was betrayed, but he looked at her, hands still keeping Zuko’s head above the water, “You can’t mean that!”

He wasn’t sure if it was the water cooling his skin quickly or if he was just dropping in temperature that quickly. Either way, Zuko’s temperature was dropping.

“Katara, La just said Earth and Air can’t interfere with each other,” He sighed, dreading the realization, “Which means a water-based spirit like Tui can’t touch someone from the Fire Nation properly. Zuko is Fire Nation, ”

Her expression dropped, looking up at the woman who’s hand was pressed to Zuko’s chest and keeping his heart beating. The only thing she could do. She was still glaring at La but seemed to want to try and help Zuko as much as she could.

“Who cares about that law, he just saved my life!” She snapped at him, “I won’t just let him die!”

“We can’t do anything,” La huffed, crossing his arms and it was an odd sight, like watching an old married couple argue, “Even if I helped you Tui, we couldn’t do a damn thing. He’s Agni’s child. If he were a non-bender, hell even if he were just a commoner, maybe we could manage something, but he’s a prince. That line is Agni’s to the point where we can’t do more than what you’re already managing.”

Sokka had never cursed Zuko being the Fire Prince more than at that moment. His connection to Agni - Sokka was too distressed to think deeply on who Agni was, he just remembered hearing his name from facing plenty of people from the Fire Nation - was preventing the Moon and Ocean spirits from helping him.

Tui was still glaring, but now she looked shaken. Like the reminder of who he was, had her nervous or upset.

“If you weren’t you, it would have likely had consequences for even fucking trying,” La said, shaking his head, “But you are, so there’s nothing that will be done, but you still can’t overcome who he is. That’s beyond our abilities.”

Tui looked back down and Sokka followed her gaze as Zuko started coughing. Even with Tui holding his condition stable he was still dying. Coughing up blood now from whatever internal injuries had been caused by the blast of fire.

Sokka glared at Zuko this time.

He was grateful for the fact that the other had saved Tui, but now he had to wonder why. What had gone through Zuko’s head to cause him to save the spirit of an enemy nation?

“Because the Fire Nation needs the moon too,” La’s sudden words caused Sokka to look at him with wide eyes, the spirit looked much calmer now, his expression evened out and placid, “The Fire Nation is a chain of islands. So if the moon were gone there would be nothing to keep the tides from destroying them. It wouldn’t just hurt anyone on the beaches, but it would ruin much of their ability to get food. I would have turned my wrath upon them as well for such a transgression.”

“It would have destroyed his home,” Yue’s voice was soft, but understanding, “That’s why he risked his life for her.”

Tui looked at Yue and her face softened again, reaching out to cup her cheek, “Yes dear, he wanted to do what was right. So he tried to protect me from death for the sake of his home and his people.”

It was frustrating, to know how much harm Zuko could do only for him to turn around and save Tui. To do something so selfless and good without any warning. It was jarring.

Sokka looked back up at the moon spirit only to realize something disturbing. She looked like she was fading. His panic mounted for a moment before he realized that La was fine and she was still there, just not as bright. Like her light was fading out. Sokka stared as he realized that while she wasn’t as bright, the Oasis was still fairly well lit.

He blinked and looked over his shoulder. The sun was rising and with it, Tui’s power was fading. She couldn’t keep this up forever, but he hadn’t realized that it would be over so soon. He tensed his jaw and looked up at the pair.

Tui was frowning now, trying to keep her power up enough to keep Zuko alive. La was looking over them and sighing heavily at whatever he saw.

“Of all the times and all the places that you decided to enter the mortal realm, it’s here and now?” He sounded annoyed, “Just my luck.”

Sokka looked back over his shoulder and was in shock.

The door was on the other side of the Oasis, so there was no way that he’d come in. No way to have missed him. The sun was barely peeking up behind the edges of the ice, but it seemed to wrap around and emanate from the strange man.

Sokka finally remembered who Agni was.

Agni was the sun spirit that was most looked up to in the Fire Nation. He was the spirit that La and Tui had brought up for a moment. He was standing a couple of dozen paces from the water now in the light of the rising sun.

In a way, Agni almost reminded Sokka of La. He was tall and held himself like a warrior that had seen many battles, however, in appearance they couldn’t have been more different.

Agni’s hair was more like ash, long and set into a high ponytail. As the light hit it Sokka caught sight of what might have been a reddish color in it as well. He wasn’t pale like Zuko or many of the soldiers that Sokka had seen, he was tanned like he spent every day under the sun. Though that made sense.

Looking at his eyes should have been less unnerving than Tui or La’s. His eyes actually had a white and pupil, more human in appearance than the others. Except that the color was bright, unnatural gold and his pupils were slit like a cat’s. The gold… looked like Zuko’s eyes, a color that wasn’t quite human in Sokka’s mind. It suited something more like a bird of prey or something that would stalk you from the shadows more than it suited a human being. He had a pattern of scales near his eyes as well, along with over his cheeks. The scales were less delicate though and bright red.

The sun spirit was just as unnerving as either the ocean or moon spirits.

“I didn’t exactly come to see you,” Agni said, addressing La cooly.

As his eyes turned to Tui the change from cold to warm was shocking. It was clear with that alone that Agni didn’t like La all that much, but he seemed to like Tui plenty. He started to walk forward, ignoring the fact that all eyes were on him.

“It’s been a long time,” He said, pausing at the edge of the water.

Agni let out heat like nothing Sokka had ever known. Just being near him was enough for it to feel like he was sitting in the Earth Kingdom on a hot day rather than in the pleasantly warm Spirit Oasis at dawn.

“It has,” Tui agreed, lifting one of her hands, “It’s good to see you brother.”

When the spirit smiled it was shockingly bright, taking Tui’s hand. He stepped into the water after that, but it was clear that it had been Tui’s invitation that allowed him to. Sokka felt another rattling breath under his hand supporting Zuko’s neck and his panic started to set in again.

Agni turned though, apparently willing to put off seeing his sister for the first time in a while to put his attention on Zuko.

“Why must my children be so selfless sometimes?” He said, sighing.

He reached forward, his hand taking the place of Tui’s on Zuko’s chest. Until Agni did that, Sokka hadn’t realized how big either him or La was. Tui was smaller, slight enough that it didn’t really occur to him as she set her hand over Zuko’s heart. Agni’s hand dwarfed hers and covered not only the dark spot over his heart but a good portion of his chest.

The Oasis and their surroundings started to glow again, but this time it was clearly golden. Agni’s light rather than Tui’s.

Sokka looked towards Zuko’s hair again for a moment, wondering if it would be the same as Yue’s blessing and change his hair.

He found his eyes being drawn back to Zuko’s chest after a moment though, the light concentrating there. For a moment Sokka thought the light was escaping from under his hands, but then Sokka saw what was really happening.

Gold was curling from under his hand, overtaking the burns. Taking on unusual patterns as it grew. Sokka couldn’t quite make them out past the glow, but he had a feeling that they had something important in them.

As the light started to fade again Sokka watched Zuko’s face. Slowly his eyes opened, looking up in confusion at the spirits. He stared at Agni specifically, looking confused. His breathing had evened out and he wasn’t struggling, but he was clearly awake and alive.

Agni pulled his hand back, looking at Tui who was smiling brightly. He sighed softly, looking amused.

“Were you planning on holding out until dawn or was that simply luck?” Agni asked, looking at her.

“You almost never come to the mortal realm,” Tui said, shaking her head, “I was trying to forcibly help him, but your hold on your children is tight. Even being your sister wouldn’t let me bypass that fact.”

Agni just shook his head at her, stepping back out of the water, “There’s always a risk if you mix water and fire. They aren’t compatible, water will often smother fire or fire will try and boil away the water. I’d rather not find out what happens when that applies to a human. Especially a firebender.”

Tui was still smiling at him, but she seemed a little embarrassed, “He saved me, I wasn’t leaving him to die.”

Agni laughed, nodding, “I understand, the consequences for your death would have been steep.”

He turned to look back down at Zuko, who was struggling to sit up in the water now. Sokka glanced at the golden marks on his skin again, seeing how they had spread beyond where his injuries had been. Some had curled up to move along both sides of his jaw and around his good eye. They were pretty and only seemed to accentuate the fact that Zuko might be an asshole, but he was a really good looking one.

Sokka still had his arm bracing his shoulders, but Zuko either didn’t notice or didn’t have the strength yet to throw his arm off. Which was concerning, but less so than him dying. So he could be angry about it if he wanted to.

Sokka felt the press of a heavy hand on his shoulder for a moment, looking up at La. He looked at him, mostly just relaxing as he watched him step back into the water. He looked back at Agni, making a face that had him thinking that the two really didn’t get along well.

It only took another moment before La was no longer a man and was a fish again. He moved straight to the center of the water. He began his calm circles again, clearly waiting for Tui to join him.

Tui looked at Agni with a smile again, “It was good to see you.”

“It was good to see you too,” He said, turning to look at the door for a moment, “You guys have company incoming.”

Tui was a fish again quickly, joining La and his slow circling. Looking back at Agni was more confusing. There was no one there, but he soon found his eyes following where Zuko was looking. There was something long and bright in the sky. A dragon, flying off before they were discovered.

Seeing Iroh slip back in with the mixture of sorrow and fury in his eyes was unnerving. At least until he caught sight of Zuko sitting up in the water. His eyes flickered up to the sky and the retreating spirit for only a moment before he was rushing to Zuko’s side.

“Prince Zuko,” He said, reaching down to get him out of the water, “I am glad to see you well.”

“Uncle,” The honorific seemed easy from him, “Did I just see a bunch of spirits?”

Iroh paused, looking up at where the sun spirit had disappeared then down at Zuko’s new golden patterns on his body. Sokka had climbed out of the water as well and took it upon himself to answer.

“Yeah, Tui was trying to heal you for protecting her and… well she couldn’t,” Sokka admitted, watching Zuko frown and look down at his own chest, “But she managed to keep you alive until dawn. Then Agni showed up and well… now you’ve got all those and you’re alive.”

Zuko looked suspicious and Sokka frowned at that, “Hey, Katara already tried to save you, we couldn’t just watch you die when you did something good.”

“Actually, I’m wondering why you’re still holding me up,” The dry tone that Zuko took with him made him hesitate.

He took a minute to realize what he was talking about. He’d helped Iroh drag Zuko out of the water and he’d never taken his hands off the other teen. He hadn’t even thought about it when he’d kept the other upright.

Sokka froze up though, then tried to throw himself backward. He just ended up splashing in the water again. He muttered an apology to the spirits as he got back out quickly.

The small sigh that Zuko gave was nearly imperceptible, but Sokka just glared at him. He glanced at him, staring at the way the golden marks curled around his eye and cheeks.

It made his features stand out even more, showing off just how pretty he was.

Sokka really knew he shouldn’t think that about him, but now it was stuck in his head. Because Zuko was an ass, but he was attractive.

“What happened to Zhao?” Zuko suddenly asked, looking annoyed again.

All eyes fell on Iroh at the question, who had a contemplative look on his face. Zuko turned to him and made a strange expression.

“There will always be a price to pay for actions. Those that choose not to consider them are fools,” He said.

Zuko scowled at him for a moment, but something darker passed over his expression. Sokka had the feeling that he knew exactly what happened to Zhao now. He was just not addressing it. Which was a whole other issue in Sokka’s mind.

“We should leave now Prince Zuko,” Iroh said, watching, but not reaching out to help Zuko get to his feet, “No matter your actions, I doubt that anyone would be happy to see us here.”

Zuko smacked at Sokka’s hand when he reached out to steady him unconsciously and he realized that Iroh already knew how Zuko would react to being helped. So he hadn’t offered. He moved next to him and then looked back at them.

“You know,” Sokka said, “I think this is one time we can all agree. You really shouldn’t be here.”

It wouldn’t be long before someone came in, so he was making sure that him and Zuko got out. Even though they’d helped Tui, he didn’t really want to let him stay in the Northern Tribe. He might have said they should leave him in the tundra, but now he was glad that they hadn’t for a number of reasons.

Watching the pair disappear was strange, they left through the door, but he had no doubts that they’d outright disappear. It was almost eerie how he knew that Zuko could just go and vanish into thin air.

“Are you sure that’s a smart idea,” Yue asked quietly.

“Oh, definitely not,” Sokka admitted after a moment, “But just because it’s not smart, doesn’t mean it’s not right. He saved Tui. I think a bit of a head start before we have to tell everyone that the prince of the Fire Nation just saved Tui’s life and got blessed by Agni in the process.”

“I think telling them La decided to bless you might be harder,” Aang said, causing him to look back at the airbender.

“I have no clue what that means… but I’m not going to stay here because of a blessing and I have a feeling they might try,” Sokka frowned, “Wait what do you mean I got blessed by La?! I didn’t die! Or almost die!”


End file.
